Goldman: "In practice, QE2 is likely to continue well beyond June 2011—at least well into 2012—if our forecasts for unemployment and inflation are close to the mark. We believe that purchases could ultimately cumulate to around $2 trillion...Under our longer-term projections it is easy to come up with models that show no tightening until 2015 or later." In other news, the economy will not recover for the next five years, but under the Centrally Planned Feudal State of Bernanke, the economy is irrelevant. Incidentally, Zero Hedge now believes a $5 trillion QE3 program will be announced by July 2011, when gold is trading at $10,000, the entire Treasury curve is at zero, and stock prices are meaningless courtesy of a DXY sub 50, and every commodity opening limit up daily.
Goldman's prior observations which concluded that a $4 trillion QE is needed now, not in 2011, now, and not $2 trillion as CNBC keeps saying, can be found here.
Jan Hatzius' observations below presented without commentary. Watching this country implode in slow-motion courtesy of a few openly insane economists is self-explanatory.
From Goldman's Jan Hatzius
QE2: Slightly Slower Pace, But Long Time Frame (Hatzius)
Today’s statement by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) shows a slightly slower-than-expected pace for the second round of quantitative easing (QE2), with purchases of “only” $75 billion per month. However, the committee made up for this potential disappointment by signaling a longer-than-expected time period of purchases, cumulating to $600 billion through June 2011.
In practice, QE2 is likely to continue well beyond June 2011—at least well into 2012—if our forecasts for unemployment and inflation are close to the mark. We believe that purchases could ultimately cumulate to around $2 trillion. Moreover, it is likely to take even longer—perhaps several years—before the FOMC starts to increase short-term interest rates, although the